The above ad for Skyy Vodka embodies several concepts of sexual representation, such as the presentation of the woman only in parts; while her face is not completely visible, her breasts are accentuated and focalized. By separating the woman’s body into parts, as discussed in Killing Us Softly 4, the woman is, in essence, dehumanized and objectified, meant to be used by the man in the ad only for sexual pleasure.

Also evident is Berger’s concept of “heterosexual male gaze,” or that women are constantly surveyed by men. Clearly, the woman in the ad is aware of the viewpoint of the male, staring downward straight into her breasts. She does not attempt to ruin his sight, however, but only lifts her sunglasses seductively as if accepting his erotic stares. Additionally, her presentation to the man will dictate how he treats her, according to Berger, and her seductive and inviting stance exhibits her as an objectified sex object (37).

Lastly, according to Bordo, the man, white and in a business suit, is proving himself through his financial success and showing to the world that “he can have it all: beautiful women and great vodka!” The sharp contrast between the well-dressed, successful male figure and barely clothed, seductive woman highlights the distinction between genders and how they are treated in society (195). As described in Killing Us Softly 4, the hierarchical relationship of society is shown with the man in the dominant position and the woman as happily submissive.

The audience is clearly heterosexual males and the ad attempts to first catch male attention, and then to advertise the product. Here, the desirable product is the possession of a beautiful woman, which the advertisement attempts to logically link with the brand of vodka but in my opinion, fails to do so.